In scaffolding, as in many other trades, there is constant demand to reduce costs. Main contractors are under pressure from clients; subcontractors from main contractors; and somewhere down the line, somebody is expected to find a saving.
At Millcroft, we believe there is a major difference between reducing unnecessary costs and simply choosing the cheapest option. In our experience, the projects that run most successfully are rarely the ones built around the lowest tender figure. They're the ones where time has been invested upfront to investigate the works, identify risks and plan the right solution from the beginning.
Poor planning, rushed programmes, and unrealistic pricing usually cost far more in the long run than taking the time to properly understand the job from the start.
The hidden cost of unrealistic pricing
At times, scaffolding can be an afterthought in a project or viewed as a package that can simply be priced from a drawing and delivered to the programme. In reality, it is far more complex than that.
Every project has different constraints, access requirements, loading considerations, logistics and sequencing challenges. Without comprehending these factors, the cost of a scaffold package can quickly increase once work starts on site.
Poor planning can lead to redesigns, programme delays, additional labour, material wastage and disputes over variations. It also creates pressure on the people delivering the work.
As Darren Hayward, Senior Project Manager at Millcroft, explains, “I’ve been a scaffolder and worked for firms where you’ve turned up on the job, and before you’ve even put a base plate on the floor, the foreman’s saying that the job’s got no money on it. You’re being expected to work in a way that is essentially cutting corners.” The consequences of this can mean rushed work, unsafe systems, even prosecution and a damaged reputation.
As far as we’re concerned, pricing has to reflect what is actually required to deliver the project safely, efficiently and professionally.
The benefit of early engagement
Our most successful projects are those where we collaborate at the start. When we're involved early, we can uncover risks, refine solutions, and avoid unnecessary costs later in the programme.
Many of our clients understand the value of this early collaboration. For frameworks and clients like HS2 and TfL, we are often paid for design, consultation, and conceptual design statements (CDS) at the tender stage.
“A lot of contractors bring us preliminary scaffold designs before tender. It gives everybody a starting point and means all subcontractors are pricing the same basic method,” explains Millcroft’s Estimator Andy Minter.
This early involvement also means we can identify issues that drawings don't always show. For example, a tender package might look straightforward on paper, but site constraints, limited access and storage limitations can be missed. These issues can completely change the approach needed to deliver the scaffold package.
Value engineering is not the same as cost cutting
For us, value engineering isn't about removing quality or going for a more basic design; it's about improving a system's efficiency.
This could mean simplifying an overly complex design or designing a scaffold that multiple trades can use simultaneously. In other cases, it might mean challenging assumptions about loadings or access requirements to avoid unnecessary structural and material elements.
“When you really interrogate the brief, you can build something once that works for all trades at the same time.” explains Scaffolding Director, Sam Jones.
By doing this, we can often make significant savings across the wider project, not because corners are being cut, but because the scaffold has been designed around what the client really needs and how the site will actually operate.
Our in-house design team also plays an important role in that process. Early design involvement allows us to optimise structures, reduce unnecessary materials and design out risk before installation begins.
As our Principal Design Engineer Michael Egan says, “The earlier we get involved, the better. When we have more time to design, we can value-engineer to maximise the design with specific wind-loading considerations, minimise materials, and increase the scaffold's efficiency. We can also reduce material and installation costs.”
Good planning reduces risk
One of the biggest challenges in scaffolding is that temporary works are still often treated as an add-on package.
Main contractors understandably focus heavily on permanent works elements. They know what they need to deliver for their own permanent works, but scaffolding can be a grey area. We understand this; they're not scaffold experts. But squeezing scaffolding into the programme later on can result in added pressure around design approvals, labour allocation, transport and installation.
Incomplete information only adds to the problem. Missing drawings or unclear structural details can lead to redesigns and changes once work is underway. And that will affect time, cost and efficiency.
One of the principles we try to work by is understanding what the client is actually trying to achieve, rather than simply pricing exactly what has been requested on paper. This is more of a “Don’t tell us what you want, tell us what you’ve got to do," type of approach. By understanding the end goal, the team can design a solution that the client needs rather than what they think they want. This can often result in identifying simpler and more cost-effective ways to deliver the work.
Building long-term partnerships
Over the past 54 years, we've built long-term relationships with clients such as Costain, BAM, Knight Harwood, Skanska, Network Rail, TfL and HS2 by maintaining standards rather than cutting rates. We don't believe in chasing work at any cost or competing solely on the lowest price. For us, the focus is on delivering projects properly and sustainably.
As Millcroft MD Billy Jones says: “You've got to allow for everything you need to deliver the works on budget, safely and professionally. Your price is your price."
